Disadvantages of using too much cocoa butter?

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Anich

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
50
Reaction score
1
Location
Finland
I just realized I've probably been using cocoa butter way "too much" in my CP soaps. Most of the recipes I've found suggest that it should be used around 5-10%, and I've used up to 15%. The recent cocoa soaps are still curing but I've tried them, and I didn't notice anything special about them. The lather is good, the soap feels pleasant, of course the bars are very hard but that's not a problem to me. So is there some major disadvantages other than the price, which is fairly high compared to some other oils?
 
I haven't tried going over 10% because of the price. Even at that point, I found the lather to be a little less than with other bars, but if you like it and it is within your budget keep doing what you are doing.
 
not really, except that you take away from other oils that you could have included which might have more lather - but if you like your soap then stay with it.

well, actually soaps high in hard oils tend to get more ash, and can trace too quickly for some people, and cocoa butter is more expensive than some oils...
 
I noticed I get extra soap scum esp on the skin if I use cocoa butter, but I have hard water.
 
cocoa butter itself can clog pores, but I've never had an issue, ever, with cocoa butter soap doing it - and I have a lovely 48% cocoa butter soap (with a 10% superfat).
 
I've gone up to 30% in a luxury chocolate bar.

I quite liked it. Nice hard, conditioning bar.

I did notice that it left a residue on the skin though (I did use real chocolate too, this could be why?). And it ashed over the whole bar continuously - and was expensive to make.

I always use 20% butters (shea and cocoabutter) in my regular recipes and love it, it does hinder the lather a bit, but I'm ok with that.

I think 15% would make a lovely bar.
 
Okay, thank you very much! The bars with 15% CB seem to be very nice indeed, creamy and very moisturizing even though the curing isn't fully finished, can't wait to get to actually use them :) I'm a great fan of cocoa butter (as well as shea) so I think I'll continue to use it more than 10% in my soaps. I've been able to buy it at a reasonable price lately so the price isn't a great issue here ;)

I do not believe that CB in soap would clog pores. In itself it might do so, but in soap... Nope, I've been using many other oils that are very clogging when used alone on the skin, but that's a whole different story I think. After all, saponified oils do not act the same as unsaponified :)
 
One of my favorite recipes uses 25%. I love how it smells. I find the most chocolaty smelling cocoa butter possible! I haven't had any issues with ash. I need some more cocoa butter, it is much more expensive than shea right now.
 
My brother carried Cocoa Butter in his tanker....he cleaned out the 'pipes' of left over and provided me with a bunch of 'free' cocoa butter. :p

I want to use a large portion of this cocoa butter and get some soap made so I want to make a 'luxury cocoa butter bar' using 50% CB. Other than coconut oil, what can I use in the remaining 50% of oils to boost the lather a bit?

I wonder what 50% of CB and 50% CO would do?

I'm using a vanilla based FO so color will not be a problem, I want it to look like chocolate. ;-)
 
i've not used that much cb before, but from what i've read, too much cb can cause brittleness. and a 50% cb 50% co looks **** scary on paper :D i reckon it's gonna make a brick soap, lol.. hey, but who knows, you might like it..
 
I wouldn't use more than 10-15%. I've used it few times and prefer SB. SB has different feel and it's cheaper here.
CB made my soaps somehow different. Their surface was becoming bumpy and squiggly as they cured.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top